Growing oysters with Ewan Bale and Bella Fatai

Ewan Bale and his niece Bella Fatai work on the family oyster farm in Port Macquarie on the Mid-North Coast.

Every year they catch millions of seed oysters, and sell most of them on, to be grown on other farms. It’s a steady business and one the Bale family has known for generations.

But 2020 is different, and this year Port Pearler Oysters are shaking up their business model and growing more oysters to full size themselves. They’re learning about what it will take to care for this many oysters for three years, and changing how they’ll sell them at the other end.

In this episode of The Business of Fishing, come with us to the Hastings River and learn about planning for business expansion twenty years into the future, using social media to reach customers, and working with your family.

The Business of Fishing is brought to you by the Young Farmer Business Program, an initiative of the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Find Ewan and Bella at @portpearleroysters on Instagram.